Full Data and Power—More than just a USB-C hub, add seven SuperSpeed data transfer and power ports to any USB 3.0 or USB-C laptop or use as a stand-alone powered hub
Universal Compatibility—This powered USB hub is designed to work with virtually every Windows, macOS, or Linux system. On legacy systems, the latest drivers and updates should be installed to ensure compatibility
USB 3.0 and USB-C Connectivity—Dual connection gives extra usb ports for laptops. Use as a USB 3.0 hub on older computers, or USB-C hub on newer systems. Or, tap into the 60W power adapter and use as a standalone seven port USB powered hub
Recommended Uses—At home it's a USB hub for laptops, or community power spot for phones and tablets. At school, stack several to easily power and sync student devices. In big operations, deploy as many hubs as you need to test and power at high volume
2-Year Coverage, Lifetime Support—Every Plugable product, including this USB powered hub, is covered against defects for 2 years and comes with lifetime support. If you ever have questions, contact our North American-based team - even before purchase
The Plugable USB 3.0 and USB-C 7-Port Hub (USBC-HUB7BC) delivers performance in a way that few others can match. Connected to a laptop–USB-A and USB-C connections included–you have instant access to 7 USB ports, each capable of transfer speeds up to 5Gbps. And here’s something unique, you also get maximum USB charging speeds on every single port.
If you don’t need data, this USB powered hub comes bundled with a UL Certified power adapter capable of providing 5V at up to 2.4A to each of the seven USB ports. No computer required. And thanks to smart charging circuits, each device powers at its own max rate. No need to worry about overcharging.
Technical specifications & compatibility
Standalone or Stacked
As a standalone unit, the USBC-HUB7BC stands out for its SuperSpeed data and high-speed charging. But what if you needed to charge 14, 21, even 210 devices? This multi-port powered USB Hub is designed to be stacked.
As your need for power or ports grows, the USBC-HUB7BC can grow right along with it. All seven ports are lined up along the front with plenty of space between, so even when stacked, you won’t fumble with the connections.
Charging and Data on Every Port
When you need performance on every port, you need a hub that offers full functionality on every port. Other hubs split the duty of data and charging between ports, so you’re only getting two or three charging slots.
The Plugable USB 3.0 and USB-C 7-Port Hub goes all in. Get data transfer speeds up to 5Gbps, and BC 1.2 charging at 1.5A on every port. No exceptions.
Designed to Work Where You Work
The USBC-HUB7BC centralizes your charging efforts. At home, set it up as a community charging spot for phones and tablets. At school, combine two or three to easily charge and sync student devices. And in large-scale operations, deploy as many hubs as you need to test and charge at scale.
1x Plugable USB 3.0 7-port charging Hub (USBC-HUB7BC)
1x 60W Power Adapter
1x USB-A to USB-B Cable with USB-C adaptor
1x Quick Start Guide
Included Cables
Port Type (Side 1)
Cable Specification
Port Type (Side 2)
Cable Length
External Power for Cable
Male USB-B (3.0)
USB 3.0 (5Gbps)
USB-A or
USB-C
1.0m/3.28ft
No
Power
Port
Placement
Power Host / Device
Connection Type
Notes
Voltage
Amperage
Wattage
Power Supply
Rear
Device
Region-specific Power Adapter
UL 60950-1 Certified
12.0V
5.0A
60.0W
USB To Devices
Port
Placement
Version and Link Rate
Features
Voltage
Amperage
Wattage
7x USB-A
Front
USB 3.0 (5Gbps)
Battery Charging 1.2
5V
1500mA
7.5W
Connection To Host
Port
Placement
Version and Link Rate
Features
1x USB-A or
USB-C
Rear
USB 3.0 (5Gbps)
Physical Stats
Item
Size (H x W x D) or Length
Weight
SKU or Part Number
7 Port USB Charging Hub for Laptops with USB-C or USB 3.0
2.54 x 12.7 x 7.62 centimeters 1 x 5 x 3 inches
141 grams 5 ounces
USBC-HUB7BC
This stackable USB port hub is designed to work with virtually every Windows, macOS, or Linux system. And, because you can use it as either a USB-C hub, or a USB hub 3.0, you’ll enjoy forward and backward compatibility between USB-C, 3.0, 2.0, and 1.1 hosts and devices. On legacy systems, the latest drivers and updates should be installed to ensure compatibility.
The hub itself requires no driver installation (although individual devices may require drivers). Supports Microsoft Windows 10 through XP, macOS X, and Linux kernels 3.0 and later.
Installing latest USB 3.0 xHCI host controller drivers is recommended. This hub is not recommended for use with older Texas Instruments, Fresco Logic, Etron, or Wistron USB 3.0 host controllers.
Older Mac Pros with USB 3.0 PCI Express add-on cards may not work with this or any USB 3.0 hub.
2.4Ghz wireless devices such as keyboard/mouse receivers, Bluetooth and WiFi adapters, may not work in close proximity to USB 3.0 devices or hubs.
Other Common Uses
At home it's a USB hub for laptops or a community charging spot for phones and tablets. At school, stack several to easily charge and sync student devices. In big operations, deploy as many hubs as you need to test and charge at high volume.
Get Started
Insert the power adapter into the hub and a wall outlet.
Insert the USB cable into the hub and your PC.
The hub will be installed automatically. Verify by attaching a device to the hub.
With the introduction of the USB Battery Charging 1.2 (BC 1.2) specification, compliant devices can charge and sync simultaneously on this hub. With the robust 60W power supply, all 7 charging ports can charge a device at once. Devices determine whether and how fast to charge. The BC 1.2 charging standard which facilitates faster charging is relatively new, and to many existing and older devices (such as older Apple and Android devices) charge via proprietary signaling. For this reason, charging behavior is device dependent.
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This is the standard USB connection that most computers offered prior to the introduction of USB Type-C (USB-C). Even after the introduction of USB Type-C, this is still quite common.
It can provide data transfer rates up to the USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10 gbps) specification depending on the host and device, but does not directly support video in the way that USB-C Alternate Mode does. This limitation makes DisplayLink USB graphics adapters and docking stations ideal on systems that do not have USB-C, or in instances where more displays are needed beyond available video outputs of a PC.
This type of connection comes in a couple different styles depending on whether USB 3.0 and higher transfer rates are supported (bottom graphic). Usually this type of connection is used to plug into USB devices that do not have a fixed cable connected, such as USB docking stations, USB hubs, printers, and others.
One of the first connectors for charging a smartphone, wireless game controller (such as the Sixaxis and DualShock 3), and other small devices such as external hard drives. Not commonly used today, but is still used in some cases. Most devices using USB Mini B are using USB 2.0, though a USB 3.0 variant does exist. This specification also added USB On-The-Go (OTG) functionality, though it is more commonly implemented with Micro USB.
A smaller connector that serves many of the same uses as the Mini B connector, with added optional features such as Mobile High-Definition Link (MHL) to allow devices like smartphones to output video to larger displays without requiring a dedicated port for video output.
The larger variant of USB-B is most commonly used for external hard drives for higher 5Gbps transfer rates.
The most recent USB connection, USB Type-C (USB-C), represents a major change in what USB can do. The connector is smaller, can be connected in two orientations, is able to carry substantially more power and data, and can directly carry video signals of multiple types (HDMI, DisplayPort, etc.) Intel has also adapted the USB-C connector for use with Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4.
It is important to note that while all Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 connections are USB-C, not all USB-C connections can be used with Thunderbolt 3 or Thunderbolt 4 devices.
While all USB ports provide some amount of power for attached devices, the available power may not be enough for certain high-current devices such as USB hubs or external hard drives. High-current devices usually come with their own power adapter, making them self-powered, in contrast to a bus-powered device that draws all of its power from the host computer's USB interface. Bus-powered devices can cause issues if they need more power than is available from the host machine.
Many of our devices that include power adapters, especially USB hubs, will function in either self-powered or bus-powered mode. However, even though the device may function, each additional device attached to the host computer reduces the total available bus power. If the power runs out, any USB device attached to the computer may suddenly disconnect. If this were to happen to a USB storage device, such an event could result in permanent data loss.
If a device comes with a power adapter, we recommend that the adapter stay connected at all times, otherwise the device may not function as designed.
Self-powered USB device - A device that takes all of its power from an external power supply
Bus-powered USB device - A device that takes all of its power from the host computer's USB interface.
Apple device charging behavior varies according to both the size of the device and whether it has a “Lightning” or “30 pin” connector.
Newer Apple devices with the “Lightning” connector, when attached to the BC 1.2 Standard compliant Flip-Up ports without a host computer, can charge at up to 1.5 Amps.
Older “30 pin” iPads will only charge when the iPad is turned off. When turned on, these older iPads will report “Not Charging”. 30 pin iPods, iPads or iPhones will charge only at the standard 500mA rate.
Because the Raspberry Pi is a USB 2.0 device and can’t take advantage of USB 3.0 functionality as well as mixed results from users, we do not recommend this hub for use with the Raspberry Pi. The hub we do recommend is our 7 port USB 2.0 hub.
There is a blue led for each of the downstream USB ports on the hub. The LEDs turn on when a USB device is connected and recognized by the operating system. These lights may turn off even though a device is connected when the host computer operating system puts the device to sleep to conserve power. There is no master light to indicate the hub is receiving power.
Most USB receivers for wireless mice and keyboards operate in the 2.4Ghz band. When connecting the receiver to any USB 3.0 port there is potential for interference that can affect the devices performance. The most effective method is to add a short USB 2.0 extension cable between the hub and the receiver to mitigate the effect, and many wireless keyboards and mice come with such a cable for this reason.
Check for and update external hard drive firmware if available.
For Intel based Macs, perform an SMC and PRAM/NVRAM reset SMC.:
Perform an SMC reset: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201295
Perform an NVRAM/PRAM reset: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204063
Disable Power Nap on Mac (in power settings, disable for when connected to AC power and battery if the customer uses the hub while also on battery power).
If possible, test the USB hub and hard drives with a Windows PC to see if the issue persists there as well.
If this issue persists, if possible we have a tool that automates collecting a set of log files from your system. You can download the PlugDebug tool and learn how to use it by clicking on this link:
Ensure that you have the USB Hub connected to the computer when the PlugDebug application is run. Then send us a copy of the log files to Support@Plugable.com
If your USB Hub is having issues with some USB ports not connecting to the host computer, there are a few steps that you should try to resolve this issue.
Full power cycle reset:
Disconnect the power supply, USB Host cable, and all devices from the USB Hub.
Leave the USB Hub disconnected for 30-60 seconds.
Reconnect the USB Hub’s power first.
Connect the USB into the host, then plug USB devices back into the hub.
Ensure that you have the USB Hub connected to the computer when the PlugDebug application is run. Then send us a copy of the log files to support@plugable.com
Unfortunately Plugable products do not support the Apple SuperDrive.
The Apple SuperDrive has stringent power requirements that can only be met by directly connecting the SuperDrive to your host laptop. As a result at this time Apple recommends only using their USB-C adapter cables. You can find more information on that here → How to connect the Apple USB SuperDrive
If you have purchased a Plugable product to use with your Apple SuperDrive, and would like some additional assistance please do not hesitate to reach out. You can do so by emailing support@plugable.com, or going to Plugable.com/Support.
It's not uncommon for users to notice a certain level of heat generation from electronics and by extension, Plugable products during operation. In this knowledge base article, we'll explore the reasons behind this heat generation and why it is considered a normal experience within reasonable limits.
Electronics, by their nature, generate heat during operation. This is primarily a result of the electrical current flowing through various components, such as integrated circuits, transistors, and other electronic elements. As Plugable products are designed to efficiently process and transfer data (among other functionality), some level of heat generation is inherent.
Factors Influencing Heat Generation:
Power Consumption: The power consumption of a device directly influences the amount of heat it generates. Higher power usage, especially during data transfer or charging processes, can lead to increased heat.
Enclosure Design: The design of the product's enclosure and its ability to dissipate heat play a crucial role. Adequate ventilation and heat sinks are often incorporated to manage and disperse generated heat effectively. This is evident in our TBT3-UDZ and TBT4-UDZ designs. The metal case in these docks are designed to function as a heatsink with thermal pads placed throughout the enclosure. This allows heat dissipation from inside to the outside, but will also make it feel as if the device is “too hot”.
Ambient Temperature: The external environment may also play a role. Higher ambient temperatures can contribute to increased perceived heat from the product. This means that summer temperatures may increase the heat generation of not just Plugable products, but many other electronic devices.
Normal Heat Levels: While it is normal for electronic devices to generate heat, Plugable products are engineered to operate within safe temperature ranges. We conduct rigorous testing to ensure that the heat generated during normal operation falls within industry-standard safety parameters. While not all products are or need to be UL certified, we try to go by UL guidelines for thermal readings. The UL threshold is 77C/170.6F, and we aim for around 71C/160F.
Tips for Users:
Ventilation: Ensure that Plugable products have sufficient ventilation around them. Avoid placing them in enclosed spaces where heat dissipation may be impeded.
Usage Patterns: Intensive tasks such as high-speed data transfer or charging multiple devices simultaneously may result in increased heat generation. This is generally normal but may be more noticeable in such scenarios.
Accessories: A number of our devices will allow for the connection of USB accessories and as such, these will require power. If too many “power-hungry” devices are connected, this will cause the device to run much hotter than expected. Be sure to keep in mind the power limits of your dock/device.
In conclusion, experiencing heat from Plugable products is a normal aspect of their operation. Users can rest assured that we prioritize the safety and efficiency of our devices. By understanding the factors influencing heat generation and following simple usage guidelines, users can make the most of their Plugable products while ensuring a reliable and efficient user experience.